Betty's eyes glistened with pride as she watched her fiance hang the framed cover of his first novel, about Jason Blossom's murder, above the desk in his new office. It hadn't been an easy road, to say the least. There had been so many ups and downs that sometimes Betty felt dizzy, like this was the worst roller coaster and she would never get off. But then there he was, all blue and brooding, his steady eyes and gentle hands, letting slip a new smile every day just for her. It made her feel a whole new kind of dizzy, a sickeningly wonderful spinning of the ground beneath her feet that she never wanted to end.
And now they were here. Their first house was modest but perfect, paid for by the astounding sales of Jughead's novel - not that she was surprised, she always knew how brilliant he was. Jughead insisted their whole house be painted a bright, sunny yellow, gazing at her with such love when they stood in the middle of their furniture-bare living room for the first time, her arms wound tightly around his neck after he'd swept her up to carry her across the threshold for the first time. She'd giggled and lent forward to rest her forehead against his, quipping about his questionable expertise in interior design.
"You know, Jug, you're supposed to carry a bride across the threshold. This is a little ridiculous," she laughed, yet not making a move to be let down from his arms. Jughead laughed, his chest exploding with how happy he was right here, in this moment. He never thought he would make it here.
"Well then, Miss Cooper," he began, reluctantly setting her down on the ground. "Let's see what we can do about that." He knelt down in front of her, hands shaking as he reached into his pocket to pull out the little velvet box. Betty gasped, hands coming to cover her mouth as her eyes filled with the prettiest tears Jughead swore he'd ever seen. "Betty, I never thought I was capable of feeling the way I feel about you. Every day you make me better, whole, in a way I didn't know possible. I can't breathe when I wake up with you in my arms because I'm scared that one shift will blow you away from me forever. I never want to let you go. I love you, Betty Cooper. Will you marry me?" He lifted the lid to reveal the blue sapphire set in a gold band, surrounded by tiny sparkling diamonds.
"Juggie, it's perfect," she gasped, her voice catching around her tears. She didn't just mean the ring. She meant him, their lives, their love. Him, kneeling before her in a completely empty room, nothing but him and her, expressing just how much they meant to each other. "Yes!" she exclaimed, realising in her awe that she still hadn't replied. "Yes, of course!" A laugh bubbled up in her chest as he slipped the ring on her outstretched finger, moving to sweep her up and swing her round, burying his own damp eyes in the soft, warm crook of her neck. They'd made love that night, slowly and passionately, on the mattress that was on the floor in their new room, not wanting an inch to come between them.
She watched him now as he took a step back from the wall, checking to see if the frame was straight. He turned to where she was leaning against the door frame. "Good?" he asked.
"Perfect," she replied, butterflies swirling in her stomach at his responding smile.
The butterflies increased suddenly, filtering upwards slowly until Betty realised they weren't butterflies anymore. "I'll be right back," she shot out suddenly, a crease between her brows as she turned and flew to the bathroom.
"Betts?" Jughead called after her in worry, following a few paces behind. By the time he reached her she was heaving her late morning breakfast into the toilet, clammy fingers clutching at the cool porcelain. He held back her hair and rubbed soothing circles across her back until she leaned back sometime later, a light sheen across her face. "Betts, what's wrong?"
"I-I'm not sure, maybe it was something I ate? I feel better now, actually," she murmured, her eyes still slanted in thought as she moved to stand. He was there instantly, putting a hand under her arms and guiding her to their bed, now with frame.
"Still, I don't want you getting any worse. Here," he lifted the covers and gently pushed on her shoulders until she was lying back. He moved around, fetching her some water, placing a trash can by the side of the bed. He hovered, wondering if there was anything he'd missed. "Do you need anything?"
"Just you," she mumbled sleepily, reaching for him with heavy arms. "Stay with me?" she asked.
"Always," he replied with a soft smile, slipping in besides her and pulling her gently against his chest, falling into a comfortable slumber.
Betty awoke feeling as bright and cheery as she had that morning. She looked down to see Jughead's face squished adorably against the pillows, mouth slightly open and a possessive hand resting low on her hip. She bit her lip, brushing the soft curls back from his forehead. Him sleeping gave her a chance.
The thought popped into her head immediately, as soon as she could get her breath back after throwing up this morning. She counted back, trying to work out the dates in her head. Was it? Could it actually be?
She was back from the store on the corner before Jughead had even stirred. She paced back and forth in their bathroom, palms sweating for an entirely different reason as she looked at the white stick lying on top of the counter. Was it too soon? How would he react, would he be happy? Or, God forbid, angry? No, Jughead wasn't like that, he was kind. Wonderful.
As she waited for the timer to be up she let her mind wander. A little boy with Jughead's dark curls and her green eyes. Or maybe a little girl, all dimples with a passion for stories. Either way, she couldn't forget the image of Jughead cooing to a tiny version of himself, rocking the tiny bundle back and forth in their nursery. The image made her want to burst into tears all over again. He'd be a great dad.
The chime rang out from her phone, steeling herself with a deep breath as she picked up the stick.
It was her turn to kneel down before him, as she made her face level with his at the edge of the bed. "Juggie? Juggie, wake up," she whispered, raising her voice slightly when he stirred.
"What is it, Betts? Are you alright, is everything-" she cut him off before the panic could rise in his eyes.
"Everything is fine, Jug. At least, I hope it is. I just need to tell you something." He stared back at her in anxious anticipation, reaching for her hand. She raised the stick, plus sign facing towards him. "I'm pregnant, Jug. We're going to have a baby." She held her breath as his face remained still. "Jug?"
"Pregnant?" he asked, his voice slightly choked. Her eyes welled up.
"You're not mad are you?" she got out, lower lip quivering. "I know it's soon and we hadn't even talked about having children but, I don't know, now it's actually happening I just-" Her sentence was cut short by his lips descending on hers, his hand coming up to cradle the back of her neck to pull her against him more forcefully. She raised her hands to cup his cheeks, letting out a small sob against his lips as she felt a desperation behind his kiss she didn't even know he was capable of. When he pulled back to rest his forehead against hers his eyes were shut and there were wet trails left down his cheeks. She dried them with her thumbs as she couldn't stop the smile that began tilting up the corners of her mouth.
"A baby. We're going to have a baby," he whispered, finally opening his eyes to look at her. She nodded, biting back a hysterical giggle. "A baby!" He exclaimed, his beautiful smile lighting up his whole person as he sprung up from his place on the bed, wrapping Betty up in a tight hold and swinging her around. "I love you so much, Betty," he cried into her neck as she laughed freely now, with careless abandon. Suddenly, he stopped, dropping her and pulling back with worry clouding his face. "Wait, I shouldn't do that. Are you ok? Is the baby ok? I didn't-" he stopped, placing a delicate hand over her still-flat abdomen.
"Yes, Juggie, I'm fine. We're fine," she replied, holding onto his face and smiling at the thought of their baby inside of her, right now.
"We are, aren't we?" he said, eyes roaming over her face, that he would never get enough of, before leaning down to kiss her, delirious with happiness. It could never get better than this.
